Humming quietly to herself, Beth was standing in the kitchen of the Gilbert house. Today was the first day after the summer break and she wanted to make sure that she got everything ready for her younger siblings. The last months were hard and she was quite often overwhelmed as she was appointed as the legal guardian of Elena and Jeremy. Stricken with grief she had to pull herself together to be able to support both of them, even though she thought she was failing throughout.

With quick fingers, she picked the water heater up and poured the hot, steaming water in a large pot which had a filter filled with fresh and dried herbs in it. After filling the water up to the brim of the pot, she laid the water heater down and began making the best sandwiches of the whole town! Giggling she shook her head, a large smile showing some of her teeth as she praised herself. Nevertheless, she knew that the Grill made the best sandwiches but someday she would be as good as them!

With nimble fingers Beth she put on the toast some cheese, ham, potatoes, and cucumbers. Quickly she cut them into those silly triangles and narrowly missed her fingertips.

"Oh, fuck. That was close.", she grinned to herself and rolled her shoulders as a small sign of discomfort. She hated wounds on her fingers. They hurt more than any other wounds. Deliberately slow the young woman wrapped the sandwiches and laid them next to two thermoses. Throwing a quick look at the pot she noticed how well the tea was processed. Taking a deep breath she could smell faintly the different herbs which mixed, shuddering slightly as she thought of the delicious taste of her special tea. Carefully she picked the pot up, the tea swapping against the brim and running down at the outside of the pot. Annoyed with herself she rolled her eyes and turned to the thermoses to fill them.

Just as she finished filling the thermoses she could hear a door closing upstairs before a pair of feet began running down the stairs.

"Good morning, sister.", greeted Elena as she leaned against the fridge while she watched with amused eyes how her big sister was scurrying around, trying to get everything together and ready to go.

"Greetings.", Beth replied as she turned towards her sister, her big smile like always in place. "How's it going?", she asked at a fast pace, her tone as always light while she wiggled her eyebrows and making Elena crack a smile.

"It…", the smaller girl began, then trailed off and looked on the floor, watching the bare feet of her sister tapping a rhythm she didn't know. "I will try my best. I will be happy again and reply to everyone asking that I am better.", she said, trying to be determined.

"I know you will.", pulled Beth her out of her dark thoughts. "It just takes some time.", she added and her smile shrank a bit. A small silence began as both girls were getting lost a little in their thought.

"Oh, by the way.", Elena spoke up again, a small smile pulling her lips up and making her eyes sparkle a bit. "Bonnie will drive me to school." As an answer, the brunette began nodding rapidly.

"And Jeremy?" Hardly her words had left her mouth Beth and Elena could hear someone stomping down the stairs. With a crooked smile and his backpack just thrown on one shoulder, Jeremy walked into the kitchen and began putting his thermos and sandwiches in his open backpack.

"I will walk.", Jeremy casually said and walked then towards the door, just stopping to put his shoes on. "Bye.", he gave them a small wave and disappeared.

"Well, that answers my question.", Beth off-handly said and turned towards the pot in the sink to begin filling it with cold water. Elena looked at her with wide eyes.

"Doesn't it bother you?", she asked and Beth instantly knew that Elena was triggered by her casual comment. Sighing to herself and with a small roll of her eyes, she turned her head towards her sister. "Duh, of course not but what should I do, hm? I will talk with him after work.", the woman responded with her light voice but without a smile.

"Speaking of work,", Beth added as she turned towards the pot again, deliberately ignoring her sister's disapproving stare while watching the water run into the pot, "I will be home late today. Can you order some pizza before I get home? My works end at 7."

Huffing Elena crossed her arms before her chest before she nodded. Without further talking, she began picking up her lunch.

"I will go now, Bonni is probably waiting now.", she shortly announced. Beth didn't respond and as she heard the door fall shut, she let out a loud groan while rolling her shoulders annoyed.

"Why did I agree to be their legal guardian?", she asked herself, pissed off with the whole situation. "As if Elena would handle Jeremy better.", she added bitterly.

After some deep breaths, Beth pulled herself together and put on her large smile. With fast steps, she left the house too and got into her car to drive to the cemetery.

Just as always Beth first tended to all the graves and other patches of grass and flowers. It took her some hours to work through everything and after her break, she was finally finished. With a smile and sparkling eyes, she walked towards her very own special place in the cemetery. Here she was growing all kinds of herbs and flowers for her daily use. While she watered her plants, she noticed how some of them were ready to be harvested. Again she began to quietly hum to herself as she kneeled down and gently pulled them out. One by one she filled the vervain herb in her small, braided basket. She took more than enough vervain so she would be able to give some to the Council. A small annoyed huff left her mouth as she thought about the Council. She still couldn't understand how they would only want vervain while there were other herbs just as useful as it. Pushing these thoughts away she harvested also some more plants like Basil, Angelica, Clove, and Marjoram. All of them covered the vervain.

After she put them all in her small basket, Beth began taking a casual stroll through the graveyard while looking out for some tasks she could give herself until the end of her shift. It doesn't take long until she noticed the person standing before some graves. Not recognizing him she walked towards him, set on introducing herself.

"Hello stranger.", she said as she was directly behind him, just mere inches before his back. Surprised of the closeness the young man quickly turned and looked with wide eyes down to the smaller woman, standing right in his personal space. With her large, bright smile and her sparkling eyes, she didn't look like a threat.

"Uh, hi.", he responded uncomfortably and leaned a bit back.

"Who are you? I don't know you and I know everybody.", she chirped as she stared at him without blinking. The young man before her began scratching his head.

"I am new here. I lived here as a kid and now I am back. I am Stefan Salvatore.", he answered her and she hummed quietly.

"Salvatore, huh? Well, I am Elisabeth Gilbert. Nice to meet you!", she introduced herself while she looked up and down at him, noticing the lapis lazuli ring on his finger. "Hope to see you again sometime.", added and waved before she walked away, silently thinking to add more vervain into the food and water for her siblings and her.

Stretching as much as she could until her bones popped, Beth let herself flop down on the couch where her sister sat with the pizza.

"How was school?", she asked while she pulled a pizza box onto her lap and inspected the pizza in it. It took some seconds until Elena responded.

"We have a new guy at school.", she began and Beth gave her a wicked smile while waggling her eyebrows. Snorting, Elena hit her sister against her arm and rolled her eyes.

"And does he have a name?", she asked curiously even though she had an assumption.

"Stefan.", Elena answered shortly and took quickly a bite from her pizza to avoid talking too much about him. Beth's mouth formed a small 'o' as she stared at her sister who tried to ignore it. Nodding she agreed to finish this topic and move on.

"Oh, tomorrow there will be a bonfire.", the younger sister added after she finished her pizza. "I think I will go."

"Sure you do.", replied Beth and stood up. Taking her pizza box with the last slices she turned to the stairs and began her way to Jeremy's room.

Gently she knocked on his door and waited until he yelled "Enter!".

"Hey, Jer.", she greeted her young brother and walked to his bed where he laid, leaning against the headboard. Putting the pizza box on his bedside table, she sat down on the edge of his bed and watching him silently for some seconds. She noticed his slightly red eyes which were locked firmly on his phone while he ignored her stare.

"Jer..", she began but he interrupted her.

"Don't say anything if you want to lecture me or are trying to be a 'sensible parent'", he said annoyed and looked to his sister who closed her mouth again. After some awkward seconds, she sighed.

"How about some cool material arts classes? Or some painting classes? Some self-defense classes? Just you and me.", she suggested and ignored the sting in her heart as he rolled his eyes and scoffed.

"Just go.", he replied shortly and looked down on his phone again. Beth didn't know what she should do.

"Okay.", she whispered, her typical smile vanished as she looked sadly at her younger brother. She felt so helpless as she couldn't help him with his grieving. He was slipping. And that fast.

Quietly she left his room and went into her own, undressing and taking a shot of water mixed with some vervain. Tomorrow she would deliver the vervain to Liz and repaint the threshold with water and mix it with some of her herbs.

Hi! This is my first English story ever. I have one or two ideas from the story "Chronicles of the Cursed" by Mika the Supreme Ninja.

Please tell me what you think because I am not sure if it is interesting so far.

Thank you for reading.

Love, Jess